Max Sinclair

My daughter was travelling in a bus along the Nice seafront. An American Lady asked her companion " What are those white things at the top of the yacht masts?" " Radar" was the reply. " Ooh how cool, they can watch Television".

Gauging Locks. When canals were constructed it was common practise for the near end locks to be built as gauging locks with restricted width. On the Worcs Bham the Blockhouse Lock (relic of the Civil War)2 up from Diglis, is 7 ft exactly which catches out some old , and new , boats. I remember in the 1960's seeing the young crew of a wooden conversion stuck fast. They went shopping in the City and returned with bars of Sunlight Soap After an hours vigorous rubbing they squeezed through in a cloud of bubbles.Happy Days. Is Sunlight still available, Fairy Liquid wouldn't work.

One weekend Geaorge Andrews pumped out Romulus bilges with an electric pump and hose over the side. He switched off and went home. On the monday Les Allen found her sunk, the canal had syphoned back up the pipe.Take care.

Met June in a bridge hole when we cruised the L& L in 1964. Frightened the life out of us.A fine sight.

Yes Iron was carried down the River Teme from Downton Iron Works above Ludlow using 25 Flash Locks and Severn Trows which brought grain up to the watermills. Severn navigation was no problem and the Stour played its part.A Director at the Motor Wheel Co told me it was brought by river to Cookley Forge.I worked on one of David Hutchings work party's removing the Cookley Watergate for the Avon. The Romans carried sheet lead from the Black Hills above Leintwardine to Droitwich to construct their salt boiling pans.We excavated a mass of Lead Sulphate from our new basin in Vines Park with other relics like deer antlers, and the council spread it on the playing fields. If you were constructing a new canal requiring literally millions of bricks the adjoining river was used for transport as my Droitwich Barge Canal records show. I feel sure the Stour was similarly used. As Yarranton wrote every Rivulet could be used for navigation.No Roads, No railways you depend on water.

The Royal Engineers were very helpful to us on the Droitwich, dredging through the town using a fleet of vehicles from Long Marston, and building Lock Gates at their Chepstow unit.I wonder if it was because in the 1940's I shared a mess billet with Harry Everard who became Major General Commanding Western England! David Hutchings also organised prisoners from Long Lartin who became reliable workers learning to lay bricks. Perhaps C&RT could follow his example, it was Union objection that created difficulties.I only remember David having one problem when one of the lags borrowed the bus to go to a football match. I hope everybody who watches this film will say Hello to David and thank him for his miracle working.You will gather he was my hero.

Canal restoration A short film showing Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Young volunteers set about restoring a disused canal. L/S of an overgrown canal. Various shots of volunteers at work - building bonfires of old branches, chopping down weeds. A small crane is used to lift big bits of debris from the canal. M/S of two women stone bricks. Various shots of volunteers from the Royal Engineers and the R.A.F. (Royal Air Force) laying cement. A girl is seen dolling out sandwiches - the volunteers only payment for their hard work. M/S of a girl eating a sandwich, looking over a bridge over the canal. The volunteers are seen lowering a new lock gate into the canal. C/U of the man operating the crane lowering the gate. A pulley contraption is used to lift buckets of bilge from the bottom of the canal. High angle shot of men on the canal bed filling buckets of bilge. C/U of a boy painting a post. C/U of a bilge bucket on the pulley. and all organised by David Hutchings

Also Peter and Val Packwood with two daughters on board Harris tug 'Spitfire'.

In 1959 the Salvation Army hads a pair of full length chapel boats at Sutton Stop next to Raymond and Nancy. See my photo gallery.

Vesta was shortened at Harris's when it was transferred from Stanton and Stavely to Stewarts and Lloyds Halesowen.

My link Here are two shots of the placque hope that helps identify it

Stop at The Camp below Bevere on the Severn

Thanks for the information.This is a steamboat with a tall funnel and rounded stern.The roses are simple not the usual 'Cabbage' rose.

Signal crayfish were introduced to this country in the 1950's by an Italian Restaurer in Bromsgrove who brought them from the USA to cultivate in his garden pond for restaurant supply.When his customers wouldn't eat them he tipped the pond in the River Salwarpe where they spread rapidly in the saline water. It was possible to feel down the banks into the water and pull out hands with every fingure having a dangling crayfisd.They were digging nest holes in the bank causing the risk of collapse.a disaster for our waterways.

A friend has purchased from a Herefordshire antique shop an octagonal wooden board carrying a carved steam barge hull with painted decoration around it. He weould be grateful if any reader could identify it with further information. "Annie" around the top, No 12 above boat and Shipley painted around the bottom. Cluster of roses on each side. By age of paint this is quite old. Comments please.

Was Cresswell Canal Steerer and his Tug Coronation involved with this company?He was in the Oldbury area.

Many of the little openings with doors were installed in the 1940's during the blitz to enable the Fire Brigade to extract water from the canal to fight the terrible fires.

http://www.theherefordbull.org/Home.html A webb site showing the Trow's history so far and hopefully its future (without a cabin)

May be it should go up the Severn and Droitwich barge Canal as the old wyche barges (similar to a trow) used to carrying salt

Grove Lane is engraved on my heart.One winters morning I cycled into the lane when a motorist cut in front of me hooking his bumper in my front wheel removing a handful of spokes.To avoid prosecution he offered to buy a new racing wheel. After Work I set off in the dark from work carrying my bike up the lane to the wonderful Cape Hill Cycle Shop At the junction an elderly lady ran across the main road straight in front of a doulble decker bus which squashed her flat.For many years this terrible event haunted my sleep.

A young doctor friend of mine lived on a narrow boat while training at Birmingham University so why not a line of boats at the proposed hospital lending colour to the scene.

I am a Bulleid fan,when he was Chief Engineer Irish Railways I wrote to him seeking exhibits for our narrow gauge engine shed where I was restoring a Kerr Stuart Wren loco. A few weeks later a railway lorry arrived with a large wooden packing case. The treasures inside included a huge Tralee and Dingle acetylene headlamp, the West Clare No 7 plate, and various other artefacts.He was a gent.